Orlando tech firm expects expansion after $150 million buyout

In a deal worth $150 million, Orlando-based Voxeo Corp. has agreed to be acquired by an Arizona company that is expected to expand the local high-tech operation, company officials said Wednesday.

Aspect Software Inc. of Phoenix, a big player in advanced call-center software and other customer-service systems, said the pending deal for Voxeo – a developer of cloud-based technology - is aimed at boosting Aspect's product line and revenue in the global marketplace.

Aspect Software CEO Chris Koziol said the move will enable the Arizona company to provide its customers with a fuller spectrum of customer-response systems by telephone, email, interactive and social network channels.

"Today's consumers are demanding more from the brands they interact with, taking more control over when, where and how they do that," he said in a prepared statement. "The acquisition of Voxeo furthers Aspect's continued commitment to provide innovative technology and solutions that support our customers."

The deal – which is expected to close within several months – would be the third big buyout of a local tech firm in the past year. Google Corp. acquired Celebration-based Channel Intelligence Inc. earlier this year for $125 million; and Apple Corp. acquired Melbourne-based AuthenTec Corp. last July for $356 million.

Voxeo co-founder and chairman Jonathan Taylor said Voxeo and Aspect Software are complementary companies, with Voxeo focusing more on cloud-based "hosted" customer-service technologies and Aspect focusing on installed-software systems for live customer-service operations.

Being a part of Aspect Software is expected to open new markets and customers for Voxeo, which should boost the company's local work force, according to Taylor. Voxeo currently employs about 100 at its downtown Orlando headquarters; it also has offices in Europe and Asia.

"I believe the work force in Orlando will increase," he said. "Aspect is making a significant strategic investment in hosted customer interaction services, and we are a worldwide leader in that field.

"Voxeo has been approached by over a dozen potential buyers in the last few years," Taylor added. "One of the reasons we chose to do a deal with Aspect is the significant growth synergy between the two companies."

Taylor said he will be leaving Voxeo after the acquisition. CEO Bob Ingalls and other senior managers are expected to remain.

Founded in Silicon Valley in 1999, Voxeo is one of the few companies to get its start in the high-tech mecca and subsequently move its headquarters to Orlando a few years later. Founders named the company based on the Latin word vox, or voice, suggesting its early work in web-enabled telecommunications.

Voxeo is expected to be a key addition to Aspect Software as it attempts to return to profitability this year. According to regulatory filings, its Massachusetts-based parent – Aspect Software Group Holdings Ltd. – lost $1.6 million in 2012 on revenues of nearly $443 million, a decrease of 14 percent from 2011.

Aspect officials said some major one-time revenue deals in 2011 contributed to the dropoff in 2012.

The company also cited "significant challenges during 2012 regarding the state of the global economy; persistent high unemployment, modest economic growth and the Eurozone crisis, all of which are contributing to low global economic growth. As a result, we are hearing a more cautious tone from our customers regarding their spending outlook."